Constant-speed integrator.



D. R. YARNALL.

cousm'n SPEED INTEGRATOR.

APPLICATION HLED AUG. 11. l9l2- 1 1 86,639 Patented June 13, 1916.

FIG. 1

FIG. 2

By D gfi'w 4 ATTORNEY ,ber determining the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID ROBERT YARNAIJL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOYARNALL-WARING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, II?IENNSYLV'ANIA, A CORPO-RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONSTANT-SPEED INTEGRATOR.

Application filed August 17,

v To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID Ronnn'r Yan-NALL, a citizen of the United States, res1d-. ing at 316 Preston street,Philadelphia, 1n the county of Ph'ladelphia and State of Pennsylvania,have inventeda certain new and useful Constant-Speed Integrator, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The purpose of my invention is to accommodate a mutilated surfaceintegrator to uses where a high degree of accuracy is required. p

A further purpose of my invention is to rotate the mutilatedsurface atsuch a speed that no fluctuation of. rate of flow shall take placebetween engagements with the mutilated surface, which fluctuation islarge enough to interfere with attaining the required or designed degreeof accuracy.

A further purpose of my invention is to catch small cycles of movementof the memregistration of an intermittently actuating integrator. v

I prefer toillustrate my invention by one compact, efficient,inexpensive and wholly satisfactory form thereof only, while recognizingthat my invention might be used to advantage in a variety of otherphysical embodiments.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the preferred form of my invention, theelectric circuits being shown in part diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is adiagrammatic illustration of the motor-actuating circuit. Fig. 3 is arate of flow curve.

- This application. contains divisional'matter from my application forconstant speed electrically operated integrator, filed August 9, 1911,Serial No. 643,191.

In order that the relation of the various parts in my invention may beclearly'understood I have illustrated sufficiently for a clearunderstanding even where the parts have not involved my invention. Thusthe forms of recorder and integrator shown are not my invention per senor are the specific form of electric motor and governor thereof. These,however, are illustrated as fully as shown because of the combinationformed and their excellence in carryingout'my invention/ I haveillustrated a weir float 1 actuating a rack 2, through suitable guides,with indi- Patented June 13, 1916.

1am. Seria1 No. 715,549.

cation of the movement by pointer 3 upon dial 4, and. rotation of theindicating drum 5 through pi'on Gand shaft 7 The actuating drum curve 8is calibrated in agreement with the notch or orifice used. This may bearthe five halves (5/2) power or three halves (3/2) power relation to theheight of the water above'the notch, corresponding to the. V orrectangular'notch respectively, or other notch or submerged orifice, inany theoretical or empirical relation desired. The walls of the drumcurve, engage and drive a finger upon arm 9 fixed upon longitudinallymovable shaft 10, which carries also the recording pen support 11. Thisis moved over the card 12 upon recording cylinder 13 in agreement withthe rate of flow, andthe rate of revolution of this drum, by means,usually clockwork, not shown, is in proportion to the time of flow.

The shaft 10' carries a Well known type of counter 14 which isactuatedby means of gear 15. The gear is fixed, longitudinally of thecounter, and the counter moves bodily along the surface of drum I6 toengage with mutilated teeth or surface 17 The gear teeth or elementsofthe surface in -the cyl 8 inder form are parallel'to the axis. In thedisk form they are radial and range between these two limits in variousconical forms used. These elements are so proportioned as to provide forengagement of a number of teeth or a circumferential extent of surface,in any position of the gear 15, in proportion to the flow, here of waterover the notch or through the orifice, at that position. The conesupports for the several parts areadjustable in brackets 19.

The main integrator in present use is of the mutilated gear or surfacetype. Consequently, I have stated the objectionable charactor of itspresent drive and have shown the advantages of my invention inconnection with this integrator. Both would be true, however, of anyother form of variable intermittently-actuating integrator and I do notwish to confine 'my invention to the present type only. I p

I prefer to use an; electric motor for moving the mutilated surface,rather than the clockwork previously in general use, because theelectric motor conveniently gives a10 higher speed, is much morepositive, havsince the integrator has not v or afterward calibrated inga larger balance Wheel effect, is less bulky, avoids accidental timelapse from failure to wind and needs no leveling. A relatively highspeed is desirable, in order to' within the degree of accuracy required.The

if not effective to vary the integrator reading, is lost and themeasurement is inaccurate, whether the fluc- I tuation take place whilethe integrator counthe counter gear all during the entire gear and that,particularly for light loads, the mostof the rotation is withoutregistration. The sensitive lighter the load.

I combine a motive power having sufiicient balance wheel efi'ect dis- 1erences in friction when engaged and a speed which catches the engaged,with with greater reliability.

20, without any detail, as the exact 0th of which are effective,centrifugally, bringtension upon the spring 30. This varies the position,of' the arm 26, and the distance of a contact 31, from an adjustablecooperating contact 32, shown as screwed into bracket 33, locked in itsposition by a nut 35. The arm 261is adjusted to a. predeterminedposition to bring a-pointer or mark 36 upon it in line with the mark37upon standard 24 when e intended speed has been attained. The king tacts31 and 32 is eflecti through means sprocket wheel have'illustrated themotor convention d a minor adjustable weight w by means of head 34. Itis and break-. I ing of electrical connectio through the conhereinafterdescribed, to maintain the speed of rotation. The

of resistance nected to support 33. The governor thus forms anintermittent shunt, or more properly, short circuit for the resistance55.

I provide a shaft 40, suitably supported in bearings 41, an mount uponit a worm gear 42, to engage with a worm 43, upon shaft 21. A sprocketwheel H, upon this shaft 40, is connected with and rotates a chain 46.The cylinder 16 is thus rotated.

integrator cylinder 16.

he registering marks 36 and 37 afford a visual means of checking theposition of the lever 26, but this does not check the acrant workman.

I extend the shaft 40, supporting itas desired in bearing 47, an

pointer 50, just as the two sprocket wheels and chain shown indicate theconnections of these parts by suitably necting gear. I select this speedof rotation and the marking upon the dial 51 so that with the givenspeed of the motor the pointer 50 shall move in agreement with timeintervals marked on the dial, 'such as the resetting of the speedometer.volves time comparison only. V In the diagrammatic representation 6fFig. 2, I have shown .'two fieldwind' 52 and 53, in series with'thearmature Windin 54. .This is the preferred of the motor winding.

45, by means of sprocket.

' has 1 ft the part, of the mutilated surface by which it is turned thisinertia may be checked by any suitable retarding means,

of which one form is shown in brake 58.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a rate-of-flow curve 59-60 in which thedistances along the line BA represent quantities of flow and thedistances along the line B C represent time. I have not considered itnecessary to indicate exact time relation to flow as this will varywidely in different installations.

Applying the inventlon to the measurement of water: I prefer to use myinvention in connection with a weir or submerged-open- I ing meter inwhich the rate of fiow into the chamber above theweir, or opening, islimited. Most desirably I use it in connection with meter mechanism ofthe type shown in my Patent No. 1,159,148, issued November 2, 1915, forcombined feed water heater and weir meter, in which the rate offlow ofthe water into the chamber abovethe weir is limited by the size of theinlet to this chamber. This sets a limit to the rate at which the flowover the weir can increase as not greater than that represented by theangle of the line 6162 with the horizontal. The greatest rate ofreduction of flow will take place when the flow is at a maximum and thevalve controlling admission of fluid is suddenly closed; I haverepresented the limiting angle of rate of reduction of flow by the line63-64:. Obviously, the first of these angles maybe varied in the designof the plant -by variation of the inlet, or of the shape of the weir oropening and the second may be varied by the latter method. In any event,if the distance between the points 65 andr66 on the curve represent thetime during which the wheel or gear 15 is uninterruptedly connected'withthe operating part of the mutilated surface, or uninterruptedlydisconnected therefrom the variation of the curve between, from thestraight line 65, 66, indicates that there has been an additionalquantity of 'fiow which has not been measured at all and,correspondingly,

' an error in measurement.

I purpose rotating the mutilated element rapidly enough for any givenpermissible maximum rates of change of flow so that the volumerepreseted by any suchpeak or corresponding valley (if the variationtakes place at the bottom of a cycle) which is not .caught shall notappreciably affect the 'accuracy of the integration as compared with thepermissible error,r gwithin a. reasonable time of test, duration;'Izhave succeeded in reaching a degree of accuracy of 99% inmeasurements ranging over an .hour or more with great reliability in thecase of boiler feed measurement and with sig rotations of the mutilatedelement 'per minute and consider this rate ample for such duty. I findthat at the speed named six rotations per minute also provides severalrotations of the mutilated element for each cycle of any fluctuation ofsufiicient magnitude for its omission in registration to appreciablyaffect the accuracy of measurement. Where the rate proposed causesrotation of any'of the intermittently operated parts fast enough fortheir inertia to interfere with accurate operation, I prefer to dragsaid part or parts, as already suggested. Here again the advantage of amotor having considerable balance wheel or inertia effect, becomesnoticeable in the attainment of the speeds required; as the drag whichwith this .motor is negligible, fere with the accuracy of, or unduly taxother forms of motor. It will be evident that I provide for increasedfrequency of I actuation of a recordingelement' whose rec- 0rd isdependent upon the condition or rate of the flow which is to bemeasured.

I find that it is quite desirable to actuate integrator elements, herethe mutilated cylinder, with sufficient rapidity so that the variationbetween release and reengagement or engagement and release of theintegrator wheel or 'gear. with themutilated surface may be too shortfor fluctuation, during either interval to appreciably affect theintegration within the degree of accuracy contemplated, most desirablyrotating the mutilated surface several times within a periodof timeappreciable from the standpoint of the degree of accuracy'intended. Foruse upon feed water for boilers, my experiments have led me tobelievethat the most desirable frequency of rotation is approximatelysix 'a minute, that different speeds of rotation may be-de sired bydifferent designers and for different uses in carrying out theprinciples of my invention. It will also be evident that while alowerspeed of rotation would result in reduced protection againstinaccuracy of registration, a greater speed of rotation would increasethe accuracy coefficient. T

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: e.

1-. In an integrating mechanism, a rotatable member having a mutilatedsurface, a wheel displaceable in the direction of the axis of rotationof said member and in engaging relation, therewith, and a, driving meansfor said mutilated member, said surface being rotated one or more timesdur ing the period elapsing between the beginning of though it would beevident would interfrom the 2. In an integratin device, a rotatablemember having a mutilated surface, a wheel in engaging relationtherewith and displaceable parallel to a surface element of said memberand means to rotate said member one or more times during the timeelapsing between the beginning and the end of the movement of/saiddisplaceable wheel.

3. In a device of the character stated, a mutilated surface integratorincluding aregister actuating wheel, current actuated means for movingsaid wheel along the mutilated surface-a distanceproportional to thecurrent flow, and a constant speedsmotor for rotating the surface one.or more times during each cycle of change of flow which cycle variesthe rate undesirably as compared with the percentage of error permitted.

4. In an integrating mechanism, a rotatable member having a mutilatedsurface, the circumferential extent of engaging parts of which variesdirectly with the distance along the length of an element of thesurface, a wheel displaceable in the direction of an adjoining elementof said member and in engaging relation therewith, a fluidactuatedmember movable at a different rate rate of flow of said fluid, connections between the fluid-actuated member and the wheel correcting therate of movement of the wheel to correspond with the. Volume saidmutilated placement.

of flow of the fluid and driving means for member, driving said surfaceinto engagement with the wheel one or more times during the periodelapsing between the beginning of displacement of said wheel for anyvariation in current flow and the end of said displacement.

5. In an integrating mechanism, a rotatable member having a mutilatedsurface the circumferential extent of engaging parts of which variesdirectly as the distance measured along an element of the surface, awheel movable in the direction of an element of said surface and inengaging relation therewith, a liquid-actuated float movable at a ratedifferent from the rate of volume of flow of the liquid, connectionsbetween the float and'the wheel correcting the variation of rate ofmovement of the float and liquid to move the wheel proportionately tothe volume of liquid flow and driving means for said mutilated memberadapted to move the engaging surface of the mutilated member intocontact with the wheel one or more times during the period elapsing'between the beginning of any displacement of said wheel and the end ofsaid dis- DAVID ROBERT YARNALL. Witnesses:

HELEN I. KAUF'FMAN,

GERTRUDE BADER.

